Visual Entry Aid

Visual Entry Aid (E38/E53)

Purpose of the System
The E38 (> 99 MY) and E53 is equipped with the "Visual Entry Aid" lighting system which enhances operator convenience and safety. All interior door handles are supplemented with soft glow lighting for ease of locating the interior door handles. When activated, the exterior door lighting illuminates providing a subtle underglow for the exterior door handles on the E38 and exterior rear view mirrors on the E53.

- The interior door handle lighting (including later E53) is provided by slim profile LEDs and controlled directly by the LCM III.
- The exterior door handle lighting is provided by halogen bulb light sources in each door and fiber optic tubing. The light sources are controlled by a Visual Entry Aid Control Module which activates the lights simultaneously when the GM III activates the vehicle interior lights.




System Components

Interior Door Handle Lighting




The lighting is provided by orange glow light strips illuminated by LED's.
- The light strips are part of the door handle shell and are not replaceable.
- The LED's are individually replaceable.

The LED's are connected to the KL 58g interior panel lighting circuit. KL 58g is an output pulse width modulated control signal from the LCM III. The duty cycle changes when the LCM III detects a change in the voltage drop at the light dimmer input signal.

Exterior Door Handle Lighting







The Visual Entry Aid Control Module is located in the electrical carrier forward of the glovebox.







To control the system, the Visual Entry Aid control module requires:
- KL 30
- KL 15
- KL 31
- Interior Light control signal (GM Output)

The GM controls the soft on/off feature of the vehicle interior lights by a pulse width modulated control signal. This signal is also an input to the Visual Entry Aid control module which requests simultaneously control (soft on/off) each exterior door light source.

Light Source Modules
Mounted in each door are the light source modules.




The light source modules are made up of the housing, halogen bulb and reflector. The reflector holds the bulb and focus the bulbs light into the housing.

The bulbs are are available for individual replacement.

Fiber Optic Light Conductor Cable







The fiber optic cables carry the light to their respective light output modules at each exterior door handle.


INSTALLATION NOTE: The bending radius of the fiber optic cable should be less than 20mm when installing


Light Output Modules
The exterior door handle frames have an additional mount to accept the light output module.

The light output modules carry the light from the conductor cables to the exterior door handle recess as well as casting a soft exterior light on the outside floor area.

Principle of Operation

Lights ON: The exterior visual entry aid lighting is activated "on" when the vehicle interior lights are activated "on" automatically by the GM.

Lights OFF: Immediately after KL 15 recognition (immediate off - no soft off function). Soft off after a short delay once all doors are closed.

After a maximum of 20 seconds "on" time, the control module switches exterior visual entry aid lighting off regardless of interior light status.